Mike Reagen, president and CEO of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce:

“I think this is just thrilling for all of us,” he said.

Reagen said the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce had shown the “mystery company” properties in Naples a few months ago. But he is not upset that the company chose Lee County over Collier County. He is just happy Hertz chose Southwest Florida. Besides, the business won’t only benefit Lee County. He said employees will likely live, shop and do business in nearby counties as well.

Overall, he said Southwest Florida will benefit from having global money brought into the local economy. Plus, the Hertz relocation will send a signal to other national organizations that Southwest Florida is recovering from the period of high foreclosure rates and economic struggles seen during the recession. It shows that Southwest Florida is open for business.

“That’s exactly the kind of economic development we want,” he said.

Tim Rose, president of the Fort Myers-based independent franchise of Arthur Rutenberg Homes:

“I’m excited,” he said. “Anytime we can get new jobs in our area, it’s fantastic.”

Rose said he believes the additional jobs will create supplemental employment. For instance, delis may open around the new headquarters to feed its employees and additional staff may need to be hired to clean the building.

He said it also sets a nice tone for the area that Southwest Florida is attracting Fortune 500 companies. And although the relocation of Hertz won’t likely provide a boom for the construction industry, Rose said it will definitely have a good impact on the industry – and the overall economy.

“Anytime that many jobs move to an area, it’s going to be beneficial for us,” he said.

Norton said having Hertz move into the region will bring economic benefits including an increase in real estate taxes and the possible enticement of other large businesses to Southwest Florida.

It could also bring a positive energy to the area. Many local businesses put their plans on hold during the recession. But with Hertz moving to Estero, she said businesses might take this as a positive sign and decide to expand their operations.

“Other businesses will feel it could be a good time to grow in Southwest Florida as well,” she said.

Todd said Hertz will help bring money into the local economy and attract new people to the area. Plus, this news brings excitement to Southwest Florida. When traveling through large metropolitan areas, he said it’s common to see corporate headquarters upon corporate headquarters. With a few exceptions, Todd said this isn’t too common in Southwest Florida – not yet, anyways.

“To see a major national brand like that come to this community, it’s exciting to think that could be the start of something very special,” he said.

It will also help existing businesses by having so many people move into Southwest Florida. It may even help his company by giving it the opportunity to insure some of these newcomers.

And on a side note, Todd said he always uses Hertz when he travels.

Debi Montenieri, president of the Estero Chamber of Commerce:

“It’ll be a tremendous boost for the economy in Estero and Southwest Florida in general,” Montenieri said.

Through her connections with the community and county government, Montenieri said she had heard that a “mystery company” was looking into Estero. She’s glad Hertz chose the area and hopes it will join the chamber.

“We will certainly be reaching out to them in the next few days,” she said.

Hertz will benefit the economy in Estero and Southwest Florida by giving a boost to housing – as the new employees will need somewhere to live – and improving employment. It will also boost other community businesses as these new residents will make purchases in malls, grocery stores, etc.

“I just see this as being an enormous boost to our economy,” she said.

Dan Regelski, director of the Small Business Development Center at Florida Gulf Coast University:

Regelski said he’s always seen the Estero and Bonita Springs market as the soul of Southwest Florida. It has many growing businesses, is close to Florida Gulf Coast University, is near I-75 and is located by an airport. Plus, he said it has a sound and stable city government with a city manager and mayor who are supportive of planned economic development and growth.

By relocating to Estero, he said Hertz will be able to take advantage of all these attributes. Plus, it will be near FGCU and can take advantage of its intern programs and recent graduates.

Hertz will also be near the beach, and its employees can take advantage of Southwest Florida’s sunshine.

“Certainly sounds better than Jersey to me,” Regelski said.

He said Hertz will help the area by providing high-skilled jobs and improving the housing market. Plus, Hertz employees will bring wives and children with them who will also need local products and services.

“Anything that can diversify our job base can do nothing but help,” Tumbarello said.

Tumbarello said it will bring a lot of white-collar jobs to the area, which is something Southwest Florida lacks. He said the area mainly has service and construction jobs.

It’s also symbolic. Some have said that Southwest Florida would never attract a major company like Hertz. The fact that a Fortune 500 company decided to move its headquarters to Estero is an endorsement of the area.